Nearly 50 area manufacturers gathered last week to learn and discuss how lean manufacturing methods could help their business. The event was co-hosted by the Quad Cities Chamber, Iowa Lean Consortium, Iowa State Center for Industrial Research and Services (CIRAS), and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC). It featured speakers from 3M, Parr Instrument, R.A. Jones, and The Schebler Company, and it included a tour of the John Deere Davenport Works facility.

Panelists shared best practices from their experience in implementing lean methodologies, saying that lean needs to be culturally embedded into the company and that once that happens, they will see employees become excited to uncover new ways to improve efficiencies.

Following the event, a number of the manufacturers in the room signed up to receive assessments from the Quad Cities Manufacturing Hub, IMEC, and CIRAS to identify specific ways their company may improve.